Passive funds, luxury bedding: Top personal finance stories of the week

Our newsletter this week tells you how to invest in passive funds and where to find luxury bedding

It is the turn of passive funds. Their assets under management (AUM) have grown to Rs 10.2 trillion while that of active funds stands at Rs 50.9 trillion, as of June 2024, according to a study. Both demand and supply factors have led to the preference for passive funds. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation and contributions by individual investors have helped the growth in passive AUM. This week’s lead story by Sanjay Kumar Singh and Karthik Jerome talks about investing in passive funds.

A comfortable bed to sleep in is a luxury. The second story, by Namrata Kohli, lays out the most luxurious options in bed material: From pillows made of cooling fabric to the softest bed sheets. It explains why thread count matters in bed sheets and why your bedroom should reflect your style. Wallpaper, rugs and art pieces will make the room classy and give you comfort.

If you are going to retire within 10 years, buy a deferred annuity plan. If you have retired already, consider purchasing an immediate annuity plan. These are instruments that can replace the monthly income that stops after retirement. Look up Policybazaar.com’s table to compare the returns from various guaranteed pension providers.

If you are interested in an investment in equity or debt that is managed dynamically and is open ended, go for HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund. Read its reviews by Morningstar to know more.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

The Union Cabinet has announced the Uniform Pension Scheme (UPS) which assures government employees 50 per cent of their last drawn pay as a lifelong monthly benefit.

The scheme pays 50 per cent of the average basic salary received by an employee during the last 12 months before and after retirement, calculated as a "guaranteed pension" for a minimum of 25 years of service. Pensions are payable on a pro rata basis for shorter periods of service up to a maximum of 10 years.

The scheme will also have two other components: Family pension and assured minimum pension. Under the assured family pension component of the scheme, the family members of the employee will get 60 per cent of the immediate pension upon their demise. Under the assured minimum pension component, the employees will get a minimum of Rs 10,000 on superannuation after a minimum of 10 years of service.

UPS will also have inflation indexation. Dearness relief will be provided on all three components based on the All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers as in the case of serving employees.